Kichijōji & Inokashira Park 吉祥寺 & 井の頭公園

Cherry blossoms at Inokashira Park, Kichijōji

Kichijōji is outside Tokyo's 23 wards, but nevertheless particularly well located, at the junction of the Keio Inokashira line leading to Shibuya, and the Chuo-line leading to Shinjuku or to Nihombashi and Chiba, via the Tozai line.

But proximity to the big center isn't all Kichijōji has to offer. It is a groovy place with street vendors, little boutique and even a Marui Department Store. Restaurants range from Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai to German, Italian and American fast-food - and Japanese of course.

Inokashira Park

Kichijōji and Mitaka's biggest attraction is probably the Inokashira Park. It was the first park founded by an emperor open to the public. Its particularity is its elongated lake around which the park is shaped. The lake is divided by a bridge and pleasure boats are available for dating couples or families that flock at weekends.

The park has a shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the Goddess of property, good-looks, entertainment and love. However, this one must be a vicious one has it is said that couples courting in the park will split soon afterwards. The award-winning novelist Osamu Dazai mysteriously commited suicide here with his lover in 1948.

At weekends and holidays, a plethoria of vendors, musicians, performers and portraitists gather in the park. Ethnic goods from India and Nepal as well as hand-made and second-hand clothes are sold by (ex-)backpackers. Inokashira is a world apart from the stereotypes of salarymen and voguish brand-bags girls found in Shinjuku or Ginza.